Application Deadline: September 30th 2015
Since 2011, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the BMW Group have engaged in a historic partnership geared towards creating a new model for collaboration between the private sector and the UN system.
Together, they have established the BMW Group Award for Intercultural Innovation, in support of the Alliance of Civilizations, under the auspices of the United Nations (otherwise known as The Intercultural Innovation Award), whose mandate is to select highly innovative grassroots projects that promote intercultural dialogue and understanding, making vital contributions to prosperity and peace.
The main objective of the Intercultural Innovation Award is to identify and support innovative projects that are already being implemented and have potential for expansion and replication. The Award is given to the organization that is implementing the project with the overall objective of helping the organization to expand and adapt the project to other contexts.
The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) is an initiative of the UN Secretary-General which aims to improve understanding and cooperative relations among nations and peoples across cultures and religions, and to help counter the forces that fuel polarization and extremism.
The Intercultural Innovation Award will be bestowed upon ten organizations
Eligibility
Monetary Prize:
Awardees will receive a monetary prize to be used for project expansion and/or replication of their project. The total amount of the prize pool is USD 100,500 distributed as follows:
1st Prize: USD 40,000
2nd Prize: USD 20,000
3rd Prize: USD 15,000
4th Prize: USD 8,000
5th Prize: USD 5,000
6th–10th: USD 2,500
THE AWARDS TRAINING AND CAPACITY-BUILDING
- In order to increase the effectiveness of awarded organizations in their work to expand or replicate their project, the UNAOC and BMW Group have developed an Intercultural Innovation Award training and capacity-building program.
- Awardees will gather twice during the one-year of support to participate in a multi-day capacity-building workshop addressing issues such as scaling up, financial sustainability, human resources management, communication skills, marketing and use of social media. Workshops will be facilitated by expert trainers as well as BMW Group associates.
- In addition, organizations will be offered the chance to participate in a series of webinars and other training opportunities in various topics of interest to them.
CUSTOMIZED SUPPORT AND MENTORING
- Awardees will draw from one-year active support and consulting from the UNAOC and the BMW Group in order to help them to become more efficient and to expand, as well as enable their transfer to other contexts or settings where relevant.
RECOGNITION AND VISIBILITY
- Awarded organizations will be invited to participate in the 7th UNAOC Global Forum where the Awards Ceremony will take place in the presence of hundreds of Heads of States, ministers, media and civil society organizations.
INTERCULTURAL LEADERS MEMBERSHIP
- Awardees will become members of “Intercultural Leaders”, a project of the UNAOC in partnership with the BMW Group. Intercultural Leaders is an exclusive skills and knowledge-sharing platform for civil society organizations and young leaders that work on addressing cross-cultural tension.
SELECTION OF FINALISTS
- Ten finalists will be selected by an international jury of experts composed of scholars, practitioners and one member of both the UNAOC and the BMW Group.
- Applications will be assessed using the comprehensive set of criteria outlined below. Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed during early 2016.
FINAL EVALUATION AND DECISION
- Awardees will be invited to present their projects at the 7th UNAOC Global Forum. The final decision of the international jury of experts regarding the ranking of award recipients will be announced during the Awards Ceremony at the UNAOC Global Forum
Timeline:
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS
WEDNESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2015 AT 5:00 P.M. NEW YORK CITY TIME
- UNAOC strongly encourage applicants to apply early, in order to minimize the risk of last minute applications. Incomplete submissions will not be considered
SHORT-LISTING NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015
- The pre-selection committee will select a shortlist of a maximum of 50 applicants.
Short-listed applicants will be required to provide further documentation including a
detailed budget and a detailed activity plan of the project (using templates to be
provided).
EVALUATION : JANUARY 2016
An international jury composed of renowned scholars, experts, and members of the
BMW Group and the UNAOC will evaluate short-listed applications.
INTERVIEWS : LATE JANUARY/EARLY FEBRUARY 2016
Short-listed applicants will be interviewed
AWARDS CEREMONY : APRIL/MAY 2016
The Top 10 finalists will be invited to present their projects at the 7th UNAOC Global Forum. The final results (i.e ranking of finalists) will be announced during the Awards Ceremony at the Global Forum.
For More Information: